In The Company Of Men
by Lazarus76
Summary: After feeling rejected and dejected by failed romances, Eames and Arthur decide to take matters into their own hands. But there is one problem - you're not meant to fall in love. Inspired by the film of the same name. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

**Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur looked up as Eames wandered over. He was scowling, and holding his hand to his face.

"You ok?" Arthur commented casually. His eyes flickered over the dark bruise that was forming across Eames' jawline. The Forger grimaced and sat down opposite him.

"I'll be allright," he said, darkly. Arthur leaned forward and gently moved Eames' fingers. "No blood."

"No, thats because she only hit me once," the other man retorted. He smiled wryly at Arthur. "Its a joke. You go out, meet someone, buy them a few drinks, take them home-"

"And they spurn your advances," the younger man retorted.

"Well...she didn't spurn them. Just objected to me trying to leave in the morning. What is it with these bunny boilers?" Eames reached in his pocket for a cigarette. "I swear, Artie, every woman I encounter is either mad or clingy or needy or all three. They're a nightmare. They come on to me, they try and use me-"

"And of course a big boy like you can't defend himself," Arthur countered. He tapped the table.

"You never had woman issues?" Eames exhaled a lungful of smoke. "Really?"

Arthur shifted in his chair. "Well, there was a girl..."

"Yes, go on." Eames was interested. "Who was it?"

"Oh, a really sweet girl who I met in College. She just didn't like the fact I was away for long periods, working. So I got home one night, and found her..."

"In bed with someone else?"

"Yes," Arthur admitted. He swallowed, and rubbed his forehead. "It was a bit of a shock. I felt-"

"Like shit?" Eames supplied, helpfully. Arthur nodded.

The Forger leaned back in his chair, and sucked on his cigarette. "You and I, Arthur, don't deserve this. We're both good looking young men, at our peak – women should be begging for our attention, not treating us like this."

The Point Man raised his eyebrows. "Sounds a little egotistical, Eames."

"You have to be, Arthur. No-one gives you confidence." The Forger swung on his chair. "I've got a suggestion."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Which is..?"

"You and I – we need to take our revenge."

"On what?" Arthur was puzzled.

"Women." Eames smiled, almost cruelly. "You and I need to show that they can't treat us like this."

"So what do you suggest?"

"We find someone." Eames leaned forward. "We find a young woman, one of these wallflower types. Not a model. Not especially noticeable. But someone sweet and willing. Someone...innocent."

Arthur blinked. "And?"

"We both seduce her. Both of us. She'll have you to be the nice guy and me to be the bad boy." Eames watched as an expression of discomfort flitted across Arthur's face. "We both stake a claim, give her attention..."

"And then?"

"We dump her." Eames snapped his fingers. "Just like that."

Arthur looked at Eames, his eyes widening. "Eames-"

"Think about it," Eames insisted. "You and I have been badly treated. Its time for us to..." he broke off, his attention swivelling towards the door. Cobb had entered, with a petite brunette.

Arthur followed Eames' gaze. The woman was young, he estimated, early twenties. She looked taken aback, and a little overwhelmed. Arthur smiled wryly. Cobb's intensity could be overpowering.

"Arthur, Eames," Cobb said, pleasantly. "This is Ariadne, our new Architect."

A slow smile started to spread across Eames' face, he turned to Arthur and mouthed one word.

"_Perfect."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur sat at the table, staring into the bottom of his scotch glass. He still couldn't comprehend what had actually happened. He took a deep breath, trying to piece together the events of the afternoon.

Eames had approached the young woman immediately, smiling. "I'm Eames," he had said, graciously. "And you are...?"

"Ariadne," she replied, her voice soft. Arthur noted the way her eyes had flicked over Eames, and then turned to him. "Hi," she said, uncertainly.

Arthur smiled at her. "Hello."

A smile of satisfaction was beginning to slide across Eames' face, and Cobb frowned slightly. He coughed.

"Ariadne will be our Architect for the Fischer job," he said, calmly. "Arthur, you're going to be supervising the shared dreaming session."

The Point Man nodded. "Of course." He turned to her. "Lie down."

Eames noted she blushed slightly. "Over there?"

"Yes, thats fine." Arthur realised his voice sounded stiff, and cold. He swallowed. _You're the good guy,_ he remembered. He smiled at her, showing his dimples, and noted with a sense of satisfaction that her attention was caught. He turned his head. Eames caught his eye, a smirk spreading across his face.

Cobb surveyed the scene from his own stretcher, frowning slightly. "Arthur. Come on."

Arthur took a swallow of scotch. He'd attached the IVs for both Ariadne and Cobb, and watched as she'd fallen asleep. She was attractive, he noted, with porcelain skin and a smattering of freckles. He had noted her clothes, and realised that this was a girl who didn't really bother with her appearance. Eames came and stood next to him.

"Easy meat," he whispered, and Arthur nodded. He watched her rhythmic breathing, noting how innocent she looked. He turned to Eames. A cruel smile was on his face.

"Give it a week, Artie," he whispered, "and she'll be on her knees for us both."

Arthur put his glass down. A feeling of unease was beginning to creep through him. She'd looked so trusting. But, he thought, his mouth thinning, so had Ellie. He still remembered the moment he'd come home to the apartment they'd shared, thrown the door open, and found her, lying there, in his-

"Artie!"

He looked up. Eames was standing next to him, grinning. "Another?"

Arthur swallowed. "I was just leaving-"

"Oh, come on. We need to discuss strategy." The Forger sat down, and gestured to a waitress. "How we're going to approach this."

Arthur looked at him. "I think I-"

"Made a good start," Eames said. "You made her melt, with that smile. Keep going, Artie, and she'll be putty in your hands. I'll make her cry, and she'll run to you to get her tears mopped up." He smiled, maliciously. "Except you won't be mopping them up. You'll be making her think you are. She'll open up to you, fall for your...sensitivity..."

Arthur picked up his glass. "Eames, this could get out of hand. We could end up really hurting this girl."

"So?" Eames looked at him, his eyes hardening. "After the way we've been treated? You, finding your girlfriend was shagging someone else, and me, getting slapped for just giving a friendly kiss? Women have treated us like dirt, Arthur, and its time we retaliated. And she's perfect. Young, trusting, innocent...she's ours."

"But..."

"Oh, come on, Arthur! Where are your balls?" Eames smiled, coldly. "You want to do this, I know you do. Trust me, she will be reaching for the sleeping pills in a week. And you and I will laugh about this until we're very old men."

"Eames -"

"Have you forgotten what a mess you were after Ellie left?" Eames took a sip of scotch. "We had to stop you going under for a week because we were scared of what you'd do." His eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me you want to miss out on this opportunity?"

Arthur swallowed. "I guess not. She is...cute."

"She's allright." Eames shrugged. "Not a model. But that was the idea. Still, tomorrow, you get to spend time with her. And on this job, I think you should engineer something, something to make her think she's really special to you."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Eames smiled, maliciously. "Make sure the two of you are alone."

"Yes...?"

Eames took another swallow of scotch. "Get her to kiss you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Ariadne hummed to herself as she walked to her small, rented apartment. She'd had no idea what to expect from the man her professor had introduced her to, but what she'd seen had thrown her into confusion.

The dream. That had been exciting, then terrifying. But the other man had helped her, reassured her. She felt a small shiver go down her back.

He was very good looking, she reasoned, with a dark, intense look. But the other man she'd been introduced to, the older British one – he was charming. And very sure of himself.

She smiled to herself as she unlocked the door and entered. They were both attractive, and she felt that they had treated her with respect. She paused whilst pulling the key out of the lock. Arthur's touch on her arm had been soft, and gentle. He was a good guy. She was sure of that.

She swallowed. If men like that were interested in her - well, she couldn't believe her luck.

* * *

Arthur stood in the centre of his apartment, thinking. _Get her to kiss you,_ Eames had suggested.

She was interested. He could tell. Eyes that were just a little too bright, and the slight hesitancy when she spoke to him. There was a real possibility there. He'd been aloof, professional. Which is why, he knew, it would be more of a shock to her if he did make a move.

"Be the nice guy", he told himself, pacing. Being the nice guy had been his downfall, he was sure. But if Eames was the bad boy, it would make him more appealing.

He checked his notes. "Paradox", he mumbled to himself. A way of getting to spend more time with her, to encourage her to trust him, rely on him. Cobb, he knew, was too blinded by the prospect of seeing his family again to train her properly, and assist her. Arthur knew he could.

He blinked. He knew he was participating in the possible destruction of an innocent young woman. But, he thought, she wouldn't be so innocent.

"Be incredibly interested in her," he told himself. "Praise her for her work. Help her with her totem."

He put his notes down, and took a deep breath. "Get a grip," he muttered to himself.

He heard footsteps, and turned. "You came back," he said, plastering a smile on his face.

"I tried to stay away," Ariadne said, smiling shyly, "but there's-"

"Nothing quite like it?"

She smiled. He nearly choked. This was going to be even easier than he thought. He swallowed.

"Let me show you the paradoxes."

She nodded. "Please do."

* * *

"So, how'd it go?" Eames asked, idly. They were sitting opposite each other in their favourite bar. Arthur raised his glass and sipped before replying.

"Oh, she soaked it up," he said, casually. "Hung on my every word."

Eames grinned, wolfishly. "I bet she did. Did you give her that look?"

Arthur shrugged. "I may have done."

"Arthur. This is almost too easy. She's a lamb to the slaughter." Eames leaned forward. "What you have to do is engineer something that goes wrong in the dream. Get Cobb to attack her for it. Then you sweep in and take the blame...and she thinks you're wonderful. Even more wonderful than me."

Arthur paused. "Something goes wrong?"

"Yes. Suppose you encourage her to put something in a layer that shouldn't be there. Then when it happens, she gets upset, and Cobb lays into her. You stick up for her, and take the blame."

Arthur shook his glass, watching the ice swirl within it. "Well, I could claim to 'lose' the research on Fischer, or say that the research didn't show certain things..." he looked at Eames. "But the kiss – I could use that as a distraction."

"Of course you could." Eames smiled. "And tomorrow I start my charm offensive."

"Really." Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"Yes." Eames took a swallow of scotch. "She's not my type. I like long legs and a killer cleavage – and she has neither-"

"Eames." Arthur winced slightly.

"But – she's so trusting and sweet, I'm sure I can make her feel very special." Eames looked at him. "Now, how are you going to keep on making inroads?"

Arthur pulled out his cellphone. "Like this."

Eames watched as he dialled a number, Arthur sat back and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Ari? Hey, its Arthur. Mind if I come and look at the" – he glanced around and lowered his voice – "mazes you're building tomorrow?" He smiled. "No problem."

Eames grinned and raised his glass. "Well done."

Arthur smirked. "Candy from a baby."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Ariadne swallowed nervously as she surveyed her blueprints. Arthur had told her he'd be downstairs shortly after she arrived, but she'd been there over an hour, and he still hadn't shown.

She noticed her hand was shaking slightly. "Get a grip," she muttered.

She felt a powerful need to try and impress him. He was clever, confident, in control. She tugged at her neck scarf. He wasn't the type of man who'd be interested in her. He'd be interested in a gorgeous model-type, or some high powered careerist. Not an Architectural student who couldn't afford designer labels.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open. She looked up, and her smile returned.

"Hey," Arthur said, casually. "Sorry about that, Cobb wanted me to run an errand".

"Its ok," she said, swallowing her anxiety. "Its ok, really. I thought you might be busy."

"When I make a promise, I like to keep it," he assured her. He smiled kindly, and she felt herself blushing. "Ok. So what progress is there on the maze?"

She pointed to the blueprint. "Well, for the first layer, I thought we could be in a cityscape-"

"Whoa," he cautioned her. "You think? You're the Architect. Its your decision. What you mean is, 'we will be in a cityscape.'"

She blushed. He noted, and felt an inner smirk of satisfaction. _Make her think that she's the most important person on the team,_ Eames had told him. _Get her to think she's right!_

"OK, we will be in a cityscape," she corrected herself. "The idea I have is that we split into two groups from the beginning, and head to a hide out."

Arthur nodded. "Good thinking." _ This will be a disaster. I guarantee. Especially if I put something in the layer...like a train..._

"And, we make sure that Fischer doesn't realise its a dream. I was thinking you could get him into a cab?"

"Of course." _Because if it gets ambushed, I can take the blame, make you feel sorry for me. _

He stopped, and shook his head slightly. _What am I doing?_ He thought, with a slight feeling of panic. This young woman was trying to craft their dreamscapes, and all he was thinking was how he could make things progressively worse for her. _ You have to. Then you get to play the hero. _

He swallowed, and smiled at her.

"This is great," he said, deciding to leave. "I have to go into a meeting with Cobb, but I'll be back later, I promise."

"Thanks, Arthur."

He turned, and walked towards the door, conscious that her eyes were still on him. He straightened his shoulders, almost feeling he were taunting her.

* * *

"Well?"

"She lapped it up." Arthur tried to speak casually, but his mind was racing. "Took it all on board."

Eames nodded. "She would do. She looks desperate for approval, that one."

Arthur tapped a pencil on the side of the desk. "I think so."

"Next step?"

Arthur smiled. "Let's see how it goes. I need to engineer that kiss."

Eames nodded. "Do. She won't get over that." He checked his watch. "My turn."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, I offered to show her the sights." The Forger spoke casually. "Go into a dream with her."

Arthur grinned. "Have fun."

The Forger winked. "Trust me, Artie. I will."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur carefully adjusted the IV, making sure that both were sedated. He sat down, watching their rhythmic breathing.

Ariadne was proving easier to manipulate than either he or Eames had thought possible. He sat back in his chair, studying her. For all her seeming impulsiveness, he'd noticed that she was insecure. His mind wandered, casting back to the previous day, when he'd gone down to her workshop.

"So, whats this?" He asked, picking up a model.

"Oh, thats for the first layer," she replied. "I thought, as we were in a city, then skyscrapers would be the best."

"Its downtown, right?"

"Right."

"Ari," Arthur said, pausing and choosing his words carefully, "you might want to change these buildings around." He pointed to two small blocks, opposite each other on an interchange.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"Because they're too open. If you want to get us shot by Fischer's projections, you're going the right way."

Her face visibly dropped, and the Point Man felt a sting of satisfaction. He'd punctured her confidence. He spoke again.

"Just be careful not to put anything silly in this layer."

"Silly?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something."

Satisfied he'd planted a seed of doubt in her mind about the maze, he turned and left.

* * *

"Good dream?" he asked Eames, casually. They were sitting in a quiet corner of the warehouse. Eames was smirking.

"Oh, yes," he said, grinning. "I held her hand."

Arthur felt a brief stab of jealousy. "You held her hand?"

"Yep." Eames pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. "I held it. We were in a busy city centre, and got separated by the projections. I decided the only way to keep her safe was to...take hold of her hand."

The Point Man swallowed. "I'm sure she appreciated."

"Oh, she did, Artie. She kissed me on the cheek."

"She kissed you?"

"Arthur. This is all part of the plan. I get her to come close to me, I get her to like me, I take her out, then I start ignoring her, she comes running to you..."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "And I make her feel better, and then-I dump her."

"Exactly." Eames grinned. "But for the moment, just keep making her think you're cold, picky, censoring Arthur. Which is why, when you start being nice to her, holding her, making her feel special – she'll think you're the most wonderful man in the world."

Arthur smirked. "Aren't I? I'm sure she wishes her man was me."

Both men started to laugh. Arthur got up, and brushed off his suit.

"I need to go. I have to do some research."

Eames looked at him. "I have to go, too. I'm taking her out for dinner."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "You are?"

"Oh, yes." Eames leaned back in his seat. "I needed a starting point, hmmm?"

"Just be careful." Arthur's brow creased.

"Arthur, I intend to be very careful. Underdeveloped and short really isn't my type."

Arthur smiled. "You know what I mean."

"I don't intend to on the first date. Maybe the second."

Arthur smirked, and turned to leave. As he walked through the hall, he noticed Ariadne talking to Cobb. She was animated, and the Extractor was smiling. Arthur frowned, feeling a little pang twist his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur started to get up, and rubbed the back of his neck. It felt stiff and sore, and welded into place. Grimacing, he began to shuffle papers together.

"Hi."

He blinked. Ariadne was standing in front of him, looking uncertain. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" he asked, sounding slightly curt. She blushed.

"Would you help me carry something?"

He blinked. "OK. What?"

"I have a box of papers I want to take back to my apartment. Its pretty heavy..." her voice trailed away. "If you're too busy, its fine."

"No, its ok," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "I can help you. What do you need?"

She smiled, shyly. "Its downstairs."

Arthur followed her to the basement. He gulped when he saw the two large stacks of files.

"Ari, I don't..." his voice trailed off. "Why do you want to take them to your place?"

"They've got some information in them. I think we should hide it."

"OK, but it would be easier to put them in a lock up," he stated. "We have one on site. I know the combination." She looked slightly disconcerted, but he smiled at her. "Its easier, trust me."

She smiled back. "Thanks, Arthur. You're so good."

He felt an uncomfortable twinge at the compliment, but ignored it. "Shall we?"

As they lifted and carried, he stole a glance at her. Her face was slightly flushed, and he noticed how the scarf she was wearing complimented her eyes. He cursed under his breath for being distracted. As they loaded the files in, their hands brushed slightly.

She went redder. "Thank you."

"No problem." He swallowed, then asked casually, "so, how are you settling in."

"Oh, its good." She smiled. "Cobb is being really helpful, and so are you, and as for Eames..."

"What about Eames?" Arthur spoke before he could stop himself.

"Well, he's just being really kind. And he took me out to dinner last night."

"How did that go?" Again, he cursed himself.

"Oh, it was great! He took me to a really good restaurant, asked me about myself..." she was reddening, again. "Then he walked me home."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like he showed you a good time."

"He did." She smiled. "I don't know why I got so lucky. I'm working with three men who actually respect me, and it makes a real difference."

Arthur swallowed. An unpleasant feeling was crawling in his stomach; its twin was awakening in his mind. "Ari, that's great-"

"Listen, I said I'd meet Eames for a drink this evening," she said, cutting him off. "But thanks for your help Arthur. Eames said you were really dependable."

With a slight flutter of her scarf, she was gone. Arthur looked after her, feeling his throat constrict. Then his eyes narrowed. She probably thought she had them both wrapped around her little finger. Shaking his head to clear it, he returned to his filing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur paused. He could feel his hands shake slightly as he adjusted his tie. Reaching for the glass of water, he took a sip.

"Just go there," he muttered to himself. "Just go there and act as though its completely expected." He took another sip.

He knew exactly where the two of them would be. Eames had casually mentioned he'd be taking Ariadne to a bar downtown, and Arthur fully intended to gatecrash.

"Play it cool," he muttered to himself, straightening his jacket.

* * *

Ariadne sat opposite Eames, and smiled. The bar was trendy, and the waitress had been efficient. She approached them with a tray, handing over drinks.

"One Long Island Iced Tea..."

Ariadne spoke. "Thank you."

"And one bottled beer..."

"Thank you." Eames spoke courteously, and handed her a rolled up bill. "Enjoy." She blushed and moved away. He smiled at Ariadne, and watched as she settled back into her seat.

"So," he spoke, "how are you finding the work so far?"

She paused. "Well, its very different."

"It is." He took a swallow of beer. "Enjoying it?"

"Yes."

Eames paused. He was finding the Architect a trial to talk to - she seemed impulsive, yet serious, and he was trying to think of common ground. Then, it came to him.

"How are you finding working with Arthur?" his tone was casual.

She blinked. "Arthur?"

"Yes, the stick in the mud. Mr Boring. How are you finding him?"

Ariadne giggled, then looked embarrassed. "He's very...thorough."

Eames grinned. "Oh, he is."

"He seems to work very hard..."

"Oh, he does. Everything comes second to work." Eames leaned forward, lowering his tone conspiratorally. "In fact, I doubt he'll ever get to first base with anyone. He probably sleeps with his laptop."

"Eames!" Ariadne giggled, then went red. "He's very-"

She broke off. Arthur was approaching. She felt herself blush again with the thought of what she'd just said about him. He glanced at them both. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course," Eames said, with enthusiasm. Ariadne felt distinctly uncomfortable, even more so when Arthur chose to sit next to her. The waitress approached, and seeing Arthur, stood up straighter.

"What can I get you?"

"A screwdriver," Arthur said, smiling. "And another for both of these guys."

She nodded. "Of course."

Eames took another swig. "Cheers, Artie."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "No problem." He turned to Ariadne. "So, whats the conversation?"

"Oh, we were talking about work," Eames said, smoothly. "Ariadne's a good Architect, isn't she?"

Arthur looked at Eames. "Well..."

"You're not going to praise her?" Eames goaded, gently. Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"Eames. Ariadne - you're good. There are a few things for you to learn, but its good." The waitress brought the drinks, and Arthur cradled the glass of vodka and orange juice, wondering where this was going. He took a sip.

"Ari," Eames said, turning to her. "You're not going to get much praise from this one. But I think you're very talented, and attractive...and want to take you to dinner, tonight. So, shall we leave him here and go for it?"

Ariadne looked shocked, and Arthur blinked.

"I..."

"Come on," Eames wheedled. "There's a wonderful Italian restaurant just round the corner. How about it?"

Ariadne looked torn, then looked at Arthur. The Point Man's face was expressionless.

"Oh, ok," she said, "Let's-"

Eames swallowed the last of his beer. "Let's go!"

Arthur watched as the two of them got up, and left. He felt wounded on the battlefield, and a little bit foolish. He took another swallow of vodka, knowing he would regret the hangover in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur looked up from his laptop as Eames entered. His stance was swaggering, macho. Arthur narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly; he was considering how to open the conversation.

Eames smirked at him. "Morning."

"Morning," Arthur replied. "How did-?"

"Oh, very, very well." Eames smiled smugly and turned to his desk. Arthur found his voice.

"What happened?"

"Dinner." Eames raised an eyebrow. "That tedious part where you sit and pretend to be interested in everything she's done...and said...and-" he yawned. "Trust me, Artie, it was tedious."

"What did you talk about?"

"Oh, her family, mostly. I couldn't talk about what we do in public, so it was mainly about her. Her parents, her sister...she had such a lovely childhood. Such a nice upbringing. Clearly they never instilled any notion of style."

Arthur gritted his teeth. Whilst he'd agreed to the plan, he felt a small stab everytime the Forger spoke dismissively of Ariadne.

"And then...?"

Eames smiled, a knowing smile. "Wouldn't you like to know. But you also know, Artie, a gentleman never tells."

With another smirk, Eames pushed himself of the edge of the desk, and walked to his own. Arthur sat, fingering his pencil, a swirl of thoughts defeaning inside his head.

* * *

A couple of hours later, he walked downstairs. The Architect was putting the finishing touches to the second layer.

"Hey," he said, trying to sound neutral. He brushed his hands down his sides, smoothing his tailored grey waistcoat. She blinked and looked over, her face lighting up with a smile.

"Hi!" She greeted him, then turned back to her model. "Here to inspect?"

Arthur frowned slightly - it made him sound like a nit picking critic. "Well, I was here to see if you wanted any...advice."

"Oh." She looked at him, blinking, then smiled. "Eames did say you paid attention to detail."

His brow furrowed further. It had never occurred to him that Eames could be slating him to the Architect. He scratched his forehead, unsure of how to proceed further. He felt vulnerable, and the feeling angered him.

"Well, ok, you don't need help," he said, more curtly than he'd intended. "I'll just leave you to it."

He turned, and walked out of the room, leaving the Architect blinking, and slightly stunned.

"Arthur!"

He stopped. "Yes?"

She paused. "It doesn't matter."

He turned back again, wondering if the guilt he was starting to feel was visible on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur sat hunched over his laptop. Reaching for his coffee cup, he took a sip. He suddenly became aware of a giggling sound in the corridor.

"Eames, we really shouldn't-" he heard Ariadne say. He frowned slightly; he didn't want to think of what was going on. He put the mug down.

"What do you mean, you can't show me the designs?" He heard Eames ask, teasingly. Arthur swallowed. A feeling of embarrassment rose as he realised what he'd been thinking.

"Well, your projections might come crashing in-"

"Oh, only I'll come crashing in, I can promise you."

"Eames-"

"HEY!" Arthur shouted. "Keep it down! I'm here to work!"

A sudden silence fell in the corridor. He hunched over his laptop again.

"Sorry, Artie," he heard Eames call. "Sorry to have disturbed you. We'll just continue downstairs."

"Yeah, you do that!" Arthur called back, more tersely than he intended. He felt his face redden again. TThe Forger strolled in.

"Sorry about that," he said, casually. "But this is getting tedious. Trying to convince her she's attractive and interesting."

Arthur bristled. "Stop it." He looked at the Forger. "Just because she's not one of your bimbos-"

Eames stared at him. "Oh, dear me. Someone getting his temper on? Don't spit your dummy out, Arthur. You can swoop in like the night in shining armour soon, and make her feel...better."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I know what I'm going to do."

"Really?" Eames grinned. "Do enlighten me, Artie."

The Point Man smiled, and leaned forward. "In one of the layers, I'm going to get her to sit with me. And I'm going to kiss her. When she doesn't expect it."

Eames looked at him. "Are you serious? She won't expect that-"

"No, she won't," Arthur said, almost arrogantly. Then he smiled. "But she won't forget it, I promise you that."

Eames smiled. "Artie. You really are a devious, cruel, arrogant little bastard, know that?"

"Its pretty simple," Arthur said, offhandedly. "Boys meet girl, boys date girl, boys crush girl, boys giggle."

"And the girl?"

Arthur smiled. "What do you think?"

Eames grinned, and raised his coffee cup. "I'll drink to that."

Arthur raised his cup, and clinked it, trying hard to ignore the disquieting feeling growing in his chest.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur sighed and put his book down. He'd been trying to read, unsuccessfully, for the last half hour, but the words were scrambling on the page.

He couldn't concentrate. Getting up, he walked over to his liquor cabinet, and poured himself a small scotch. Taking a sip, his mind floated back to the scene he'd made earlier that day.

Ariadne had been late to the warehouse. So had Eames. He'd tried to ignore this, but a growing feeling of disquiet had started hammering in his chest. Cobb had looked over.

"Arthur...what's up?"

"Nothing," he replied, more tersely than he'd intended. The Extractor frowned and turned back to his laptop.

Arthur pressed on with his work, but every ten minutes, his gaze would wander to the door. No-one. Finally, at half past twelve, the Architect entered.

"Hi, I'm sorry I'm late, but-"

"What time do you call this?" Arthur snapped. His tone was sharper than he'd realised, and Ariadne stopped, flushing.

"I'm sorry," she said, evenly. "I had to-"

"Look," Arthur interrupted, "this is an important job! A lot is riding on this! If you don't want to do this, tell us now so we can get someone else! We don't have time for an Architect whose late because she'd rather be in bed with her boyfriend!"

Cobb looked at Arthur, his jaw dropping. Ariadne went scarlet, then regained her composure.

"I wasn't in bed with my boyfriend," she said, her tone cool. "I was waiting for a phone call. My sister is having a baby. I haven't seen Eames since yesterday evening."

She turned and walked out. Arthur felt his face burn with shame and embarrassment. Cobb glared at him, his eyes narrowed.

"Apologise," he said, through gritted teeth. Arthur nodded dumbly and walked out, going outside. As the cool air hit his face, he felt better. Loosening his tie, he leaned against the wall, exhaling.

"You allright, Artie?"

Arthur blinked. Eames was standing next to him, holding a takeaway cappuccino. He took a leisurely sip, noting Arthur's slightly dishevelled appearance. After another sip, he fished in his pocket, pulling out a cigarette.

"What happened?"

Arthur exhaled, slowly. "Where have you been?"

"Home. I decided to have a late start this morning."

Arthur swallowed. "Ariadne was late as well."

"Was she?" Eames' voice was innocent. "Nothing to do with me."

"Well, I thought it was, and-"

"Oh, so you accused her of enjoying herself with me this morning?" Eames tapped his cigarette, and shook his head. "Not very subtle, Artie."

"Well, I thought-"

"You're jealous."

Arthur blinked. "What?"

"You're jealous." Eames' voice had a taunting edge to it. "You're jealous that I might get there first. No, I am going to get there first. You're jealous, Arthur."

"Wrong assumption." Arthur glared at him. He looked at Eames. "I could have anyone I want. What would I want with our Architect?"

Eames raised an eyebrow. "Well, well. Getting all macho. Tell you what. I have a friend who would love to meet you. Why don't I arrange to go out with Ariadne tonight, and we can accidentally bump into the two of you?"

Arthur bit his lip. "Eames, I-"

"Oh, come on," Eames insisted. "At the moment, I'm having all the fun. Think about it - you're going to kiss her, right? When she sees the woman you're with, she'll think you're out of her league. That means it'll be even more of a shock. More flattering."

Arthur nodded. "OK, it sounds -"

"Like a plan," Eames said smoothly. "I'll arrange for her to come to your place at 8."

Arthur shook his head as he took another sip of scotch. He looked down at himself. He was wearing a black suit, and as he smoothed down the jacket, he heard a knock at the door. He hurried to it.

Opening it, he blinked. Standing at the door was a stunning brunette, wearing a black dress.

"Arthur?" she asked, uncertainly. "I'm Eloise."

He nodded. "Of course you are."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur sat at the bar, perching himself on one of the stools. Eloise sat next to him. Her short, tight black dress showing off an enviable cleavage and seemingly endless legs.

The Point Man swallowed. She was a little too obvious for his taste. His mind began to wander. Ariadne wouldn't dress like that, he was positive. She always kept herself fully covered up, from her neck scarf to her long sleeved t-shirts. He reached for his glass of scotch, aware that Eloise was talking to him, and he was ignoring her.

"Am I boring you?" her tone was slightly sharp.

"What?" He blinked.

"Am I boring you? I was telling you a story."

He shook his head. "No, not at all." He forced himself to smile. She looked at him, and picked up her vodka and tonic.

As she sipped the crystal clear liquid, Arthur quickly looked around the bar. No sign of either Eames or Ariadne. He picked up his scotch again, only to find his hand trembled as Eloise leaned over and put her hand on his thigh.

"Shall we go somewhere more...private?"

Her tone was suggestive, causing Arthur to blush. He took another sip, and raised an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?" his tone was almost offhand, causing her eyes to narrow.

"Something like this..." before he could stop her, she'd put her hands on both sides of his head and drawn him into a slow, deep kiss. Arthur could feel his pulse accelerating.

"Well, hello Artie."

They broke apart. Arthur swallowed, and turned to find Eames standing there, smirking. Ariadne was next to him, slightly surprised looking.

"I hope we're not interrupting," the Forger said, smoothly, "but can we join you?"

"Of course," Eloise replied smoothly. She turned and put her hand directly on Arthur's. "There's a table over there."

Silently, Arthur slid off the stool and followed the others to a table surrounded by sofas. The mood of the bar was subdued, assisted by both the lighting and the soft, ambient tones of jazz playing in the background. Arthur settled into a seat, Eloise practically draping herself over him.

"So...how long have you two known each other?" Ariadne's voice was a shock to the Point Man. He blinked.

"Oh, about five minutes," Elosie said, smiling at Arthur. Ariadne's face paled slightly. Arthur looked at her, then noticed with a pang she turned her head away.

"Excuse me" the Architect muttered, standing up. She walked past them, to the ladies' room.

Eloise watched her go. "Where did you find her?" she turned to Eames.

The Forger chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"I would," she said, insistently. "I didn't know short and plain was your type."

Eames chuckled again. "Trust me," he said, taking Eloise's hand, "its only for show. Isn't that right, Arthur?"

Arthur looked at him. "If you say so."

"It is." Eames smiled. "Glamorous and exotic is more my type." He kissed Eloise's hand.

Arthur stood. "I'll leave you to it."

"Arthur..."

"No," the Point Man said, "I'll leave you to it, Eames."

He turned and walked out, the insult to Ariadne still ringing in his ears.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

"Arthur!" His heart sank as he heard the sound of spiked heels hitting the pavement. Turning, he saw Eloise coming up to him.

He set his jaw. "Look, I-"

"What's wrong?" She ran her fingers down the lapels of his jacket. "Am I too-" she paused - "womanly for you?"

Arthur looked at her. "Go inside, Eloise."

"I don't want to," she said, suggestively, and began to tug on his clothes. "Come inside yourself. I don't want to play gooseberry to Eames and his little plain jane."

"Don't say things like that." His tone was sharp.

"Arthur. Have you looked at her?" Her voice held a dangerous note. "She's a plain little thing who is completely out of her depth. Eames will eat her alive." She looked at him. "So would you."

Arthur swallowed. "I'm not like that."

"Aren't you?" Her tone was mocking. "I think there's a bad boy in you, somewhere, Arthur. Eames says you're a stick in the mud, a goody two shoes. I don't really want to believe-"

She was abruptly cut off, as Arthur pulled her to him and kissed her, hard. "Come on," he said, silkily. "I'll show you what to believe."

She giggled. "I knew you were flesh and blood under that three piece suit."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm flesh and red blood, trust me." He cringed inwardly as he heard the awful line coming out of his mouth. He felt himself flinch with revulsion as she decisively took his arm.

"Your place or mine?" She breathed.

Arthur smiled. "I'm a few blocks away."

"Perfect."

* * *

Arthur slumped at his desk, and reached for his coffee. He felt tired, and his head ached. Eloise, he thought bitterly, had been a mistake.

They'd got back to his place, and she'd pulled him in the direction of the bedroom almost immediately. Before he could blink, she'd stripped to her underwear, and was lying suggestively across the bed.

"Come on..." she'd purred. Swallowing, he'd approached. _You're a man,_ he told himself, _you can do better than Ariadne._

Yet, he couldn't bring himself. He'd caressed her with his fingers, kissed her back. But he couldn't bring himself to perform. He sank back onto the bed.

"I'm sorry, I'm-"

"Softboy," she snapped, getting up. Before he could move, she'd gathered up her dress, and shoes. "I'll leave," she tossed over her shoulder. "I'm sure I can find a real man to satisfy me." Arthur had sunk back into the bed, feeling humiliatated.

He took a swallow of coffee. Ariadne came in, and nodded. Her face was slightly pale.

"Hey," he said, pleasantly.

"Hey."

"So, did you enjoy last night?"

"It was ok," she said, carefully. "Eames took me out for dinner, and then dropped me at my place." She looked at him. "He told me that you were with a first date."

Arthur felt the blood drain from his face. "Ari, I-"

"No, Arthur, you don't have to explain anything," she said, hurriedly. "There are no rules for how quickly you sleep with people."

She turned and walked out. Realising that the Architect had made a judgement that he was easy, the Point Man buried his face in his hands.


	13. Chapter 13

**Discliamer: Inception does not belong to me. Readers and reviews appreciated, thank you. **

Arthur toyed with his pen, feeling the anger ebb and flow inside him. Ariadne had been avoiding him for the last couple of days, he was convinced.

He'd gone downstairs, to her workshop, and whilst she'd been civil, not overly friendly. He'd mentioned about them possibly meeting for a drink, and she'd brushed him off.

"Lost in thought?"

The Point Man gritted his teeth. Eames was standing over him, smiling. He looked up.

"Yes," he replied, shortly. He picked up his pen. Eames stood there. Arthur blinked. The Forger's stance reminded him of a cat waiting to pounce.

"Its unfortunate what happened a couple of nights ago," Eames said, seating himself opposite Arthur. "An extremely attractive, sophisticated woman takes an interest, and you -"

"Stop it."

"No, I won't. Its amusing, Artie. Eloise is stunning - and you'd rather be with our Architect. Who is sh-"

"Stop it." Arthur's eyes flashed.

"Stop what?"

"Insulting her." Arthur glared. "Ariadne does not look like a supermodel. But Eloise did, and she was a complete bitch."

"Arthur!" Eames started to laugh. "Are you saying you'd rather be with someone plain and sweet then a complete head turner?"

"Why is it-" Arthur swallowed. "Why is it that no matter what I say, it gets twisted by you? Stop insulting Ariadne. You're meant to be in love with her?"

"Meant to be." Eames pulled a face. "Its the hardest acting job I've ever done. She's so sweet, so innocent. I'm going to end up with diabetes due to it."

"Yeah, and thanks to what happened, she now thinks I'm a-"

"Slut?" Eames grinned. "She thinks you're the type of man who sleeps with a woman on the first date, who goes for looks rather than personality. She thinks you're shallow, and flirtatious, and-"

Arthur looked at Eames. "She thinks I'm you."

"Correct."

"I thought I was meant to be the good guy in this?"

"Oh, you are. At the moment, she thinks I'm the good guy. Which is why, when she gets dumped, its going to be a complete shock."

"And when are you going to do that?" Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"I thought just before the Fischer job. I'll explain that she's lovely, but we can't mix work and pleasure. That's when you swoop in."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

"Any ideas?" Eames lit a cigarette, and bringing it to his lips, inhaled.

The Point Man leaned forward. "Aside from the kiss?"

The Forger exhaled. "Yes."

"I could sit next to her at certain times." He smiled. "I could also pick her luggage up for her at the airport."

Eames grinned, a wolfish, predatory one. "How gentlemanly. She'll fall for it in an instant."

Arthur nodded. "Of course she will."

"But Artie," Eames leaned forward, "she thinks you're-"

"I know," Arthur said abruptly, standing up. "And I'm going to go and speak to her."

"Arthur." Eames' voice was sharp. "Remember. She thinks that you're still a nice guy. Be careful."

* * *

Ariadne was in the workshop, putting the finishing touches to one of her designs. She looked up as Arthur entered.

"Hi," he said, calmly. She blinked.

"Hey, Arthur." She turned her attention back to the model. The Point Man took a couple of steps forward. "How's it going?"

"Its good," she replied shortly. She picked up her tube of glue, and began screwing the lid back on.

"Ariadne," he said, his voice firm, "about the other night-"

"You're an adult, Arthur," she said, abruptly. "Its none of my business."

"But I'm-" he swallowed. "I only left with her, I-"

"Arthur." Ariadne turned to him. "Its _none of my business_. If you want to sleep with someone on the first date, its your business."

"I didn't sleep with her," Arthur heard his voice, and cringed. "I'm not that type of man."

Ariadne's expression was puzzled. "Arthur, why are you getting so defensive about this?" she smiled at him. "I'm with Eames, if thats what you're hinting."

Arthur was dumbstruck. He narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" Her face was getting flushed. "I don't know what you came down here for, but we're arguing and its pointless! Are you jealous I'm with Eames?"

Arthur blinked. A surge of anger bubbled up.

"Jealous?" He almost barked out. "Did you see the woman I was with last night? I'm supposed to be jealous that _you're_ with Eames? Get over yourself!"

She took a step back, as though he'd slapped her. He swallowed, feeling his face burn. Silently, he turned and walked back up the stairs, feeling her stare boring into his back.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur coughed, and hung his head over the sink. As he looked up, he grimaced. His face was pale, and his eyes bloodshot. He turned on the faucet, and let cold water run into his hand, and splashed his face.

He'd barely slept. What he'd said to Ariadne had been gnawing at him all night, like a persistent puppy with a bone. He closed his eyes, remembering the look of shocked hurt on her face in response to what he'd said.

"No, Ariadne is not a model," he snapped at his reflection. "But Eloise is hardly a brain surgeon."

He rubbed his face, despairingly. Swallowing, he walked into the main warehouse. Eames was already sitting at his desk.

"Morning," he said, pleasantly.

"Morning," Arthur responded.

"You've got an interesting task this morning." The Forger's eyes glittered slightly as he spoke. "Dream sharing. With Ariadne."

Arthur paled, then righted himself. "I can't. Too much work."

Eames smiled, smugly. "Liar." He narrowed his eyes. "You're avoiding her."

"No, I'm not."

"Nice little comment you made to her yesterday." Eames' voice was gaining a dangerous edge. "I'm sure Cobb would love it if he found out."

"If Cobb finds out, this whole plan of your is ruined." Arthur was defiant.

"He won't." Eames raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong, Artie? You were so keen to make her suffer. Payback, remember? All the times you would sit there waiting by the phone, only to then find out she was f-"

"All right, all right," Arthur said, irritably. "I'm in."

"Or would you prefer to be in her?"

"What?"

Eames was looking at him, his eyes narrowed. "You're falling for her, aren't you?" is voice was soft.

Arthur flushed. "No, for God's sake-"

"Yes, you are." Eames shook his head. "Otherwise, why else would you be hiding in here? Christ, Arthur! She's a drab little thing! She's boring! And you're falling for her!"

"I'm not!" Arthur's fists were clenched; so were his teeth.

"Prove it."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Eames's expression was smug. "Go into the dream with her. And make sure that you're nice."

Arthur looked at him. "Its a dream."

"Set her up." Eames grinned. "You know you want to, Artie."

Swallowing, Arthur left the men's room, and headed to the main room. As he opened the PASIV, he heard a soft voice.

"Hello, Arthur."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

He turned, startled. Ariadne was standing behind him. Her expression was calm.

"Cobb said you were up here," she spoke softly. "Is there...anything you could show me about the dreams?"

Arthur swallowed. His mind was racing - as was his heart. _What has she heard?_ his mind began screaming at him. He turned, and began to fiddle again with the PASIV.

"We could look into how dreamscapes are manipulated," he said, his voice sounding fainter than he intended. "How you can build layers, if you want to." He spoke abruptly, and saw her flinch slightly.

"I would love to," she said, smiling. "Shall we go?"

Arthur nodded. "Lie down."

* * *

He blinked. They were standing on a street, in the centre of Paris. He looked at her. Her gaze was fixed upon a fountain in the centre of the square.

"Ari," he said, almost forcefully.

"Oh, yes." She turned to him. "So...what now?"

He swallowed. "Let's walk."

She complied, and they began to pace down the street together. It was in silence - everytime Arthur tried to think of something to say, the words died in his throat. He swiftly glanced at her.

She was looking straight ahead, as thought he wasn't there. He began to feel uneasy. _What have you heard? _he wanted to ask at her, but knew if he did, the game would be over.

"Its lovely here," she said. The words were banal, and Arthur ignored them. He looked at her again, and decided to try another tactic.

"Listen, when you're dreaming, the projections can be a little..." he paused. She turned her head, meeting his eyes.

"A little what?"

"Aggressive," he said, sounding more decisive. "I suggest you take my hand. If the projections think we're together, they won't bother us."

She looked surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said, feeling ashamed.

"Arthur," Ariadne looked at him. "I think I can handle this. Its not real, remember?"

The Point Man looked at her, feeling stung. He swallowed and tried again.

"Ari," he said, almost softly, "Take my hand. Trust me on this."

She looked at him. "Arthur. I'm not holding your hand. It would feel-"

"What?" His voice was starting to sound strained, and he felt his anger at the situation grow. "It would feel what?"

"Wrong," she replied, her expression serious. "I'm with someone, remember?"

"But I'm not," he said, hastily, "she was a -"

She shook her head. "You're a player, Arthur." A small smile toyed on her lips. "And you're not playing with me. Eames warned me you were like this."

"Eames warned you about me?" Incredulity was beginning to show on Arthur's face, and in his voice. He took a deep breath. "He's lying to you, its all a lie!"

She looked at him, her expression pitying. "Oh, he said you were like this. Manipulative, attention seeking, jealous..." she shrugged. "I know you're a good Point Man, Cobb always praises you - but you're not a nice human being." Her eyes flashed. "And you go for the model type. Right? I think I'm too short and dumpy for you."

She turned, and continued walking by herself, leaving the Point Man dumbstruck behind her. He suddenly felt the ground begin to shake. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to wake up. As his eyes flickered, he turned his head. Eames was kneeling by the Architect, stroking her cheek. Feeling a rush of nausea, he pulled the IV out of his arm, and headed for the bathroom.


	16. Chapter 16

**Inception does not belong to me. **

Arthur ran into the bathroom, and bent over the porcelain. Dy heaving, he tried to control his breathing. Retching, he spat a mouthful of bile out into the toilet, then got up, flushing it. Walking to the sink, he ran cold water, and sluiced his mouth. As he heard the door bang, he stiffened.

"Arthur?" Cobb was looking at him, frowning. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," the Point Man croaked out. He looked at himself in the mirror. His face was flushed, and his eyes were bloodshot. Cobb merely stood, looking at him with concern.

"Arthur, you really need to-"

"Need to what?" He turned.

"Don't take things so..." Cobb paused. "Personally."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "How am I doing that?"

"You seem a little upset about Eames and Ariadne," Cobb said, carefully. "Does it bother you that they seem to be together?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, trust me, I'm not."

"Well, thats ok then-"

"Look," Arthur burst out, "Eames is a player, you know that! He's probably screwed more women than you and I combined! Ariadne's just the latest victim! If she's stupid enough to fall for it, then-"

Cobb looked at him, his eyebrows raised. Arthur felt the rest of the words die in his throat.

"Nice to see you think so much of the rest of the team," Cobb said, icily. "Jealousy, Arthur." Their eyes met. "Trust me, its a killer."

He turned and walked out. Arthur waited a few minutes, then headed for the main room. His head was splitting, and he badly wanted a painkiller and water.

As he entered the main room, he saw Eames. And Ariadne. She was standing close to him, his arms entwined around her. He was so absorbed in planting a kiss on her forehead, he didn't even notice Arthur.

"Not very professional." Arthur's voice was like ice. Eames turned, and smiled.

"Oh, hello Arthur." He rubbed his hand on Ariadne's back, possessively.

Ariadne blushed and pulled away. "I need to get back to work." She hurried down the stairs. Arthur watched her go.

"God, you're so soft."

He turned. Eames' eyes were hard. The Point Man bristled.

"I'm soft?" Arthur choked out. "I'm not the one telling Ariadne I'm a manipulative, shallow, bastard!"

"Oh, poor Artie," Eames said, patronisingly. "Is he suddenly afraid of being the bad guy?"

"Well, you must be," Arthur snapped. "Otherwise, why are you painting me as-"

"Oh, stop being so innocent," Eames snarled, coming closer. "Stop being saintly Arthur. Its a lie. You know it is. If you weren't a cruel, devious bastard - just like me, in fact - you would never have agreed to this."

Arthur blinked in shock.

"Think about it, Arthur," Eames said, tauntingly. "We're about to destroy an innocent young woman. Because I'm so sick of them. Their lies, their charms, the way they use us - this is our chance to get revenge! And she's so dull, so tedious, so good, so sweet, its like taking chocolate from a toddler. And you're whining like a toddler. You really-"

"I'm out of here," Arthur said, turning. "I can't go on with this, Eames. I can't."

"You little-" Eames glowered, but Arthur kept walking. Picking up his pace, he walked to the basement. As he opened the door, he saw Ariadne, putting the finishing touches to a model. She looked up as Arthur entered.

"Arthur." She lowered her eyes, focusing on what she was doing. "What do you-"

"Ari, you have to listen to me." Arthur's tone was urgent.

"What is it?" She frowned. "If its about-"

"Ari, you HAVE to listen to me!" He practically shouted. His guilt was making him feel desperate. She looked startled, noticing the sudden change in his voice.

"I don't," she said, coolly. "You are such a-"

"I'm what," he snapped. "I'm a what?"

"You come down here, demanding my attention, you're a spoiled little boy, Arthur, you really-"

"Just stop it!" he snapped. "This is what Eames has told you! Ari, listen to me! Its a set up! He wanted to see if he could date you, then dump you. And guess what? Its working! He's convinced you he likes you! He can't stand you!"

Her face went white.

He paused. A surge of anger was pulsing through him. He looked straight at her, and met her eyes. They were filled with shock. Swallowing, he tried to compose himself. His breathing was ragged.

"But I like you," he whispered. "I really like you. Ari, I-"

Suddenly, the door banged open. Turning, Arthur saw Eames framed in the doorway.

**Reviews always appreciated. Thank you! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. All readers and reviews appreciated, thank you!**

Arthur was frozen. His eyes flicked from Eames to Ariadne. The Architect looked shocked, and the Forger's mouth was twisted into a smile. He took a few steps forward.

"Are you allright, sweetness?" His voice was so cloying, Arthur thought he would throw up. Ariadne looked at him, her face lightening.

"I'm fine, its just..." she looked at Arthur, and shook her head. "He was saying..." She turned to the Point Man, her eyes narrowing. "Arthur was claiming that you apparently find me boring, and unattractive, and can't stand me." She looked at him. "Is that true?"

Eames licked his tongue over his top lip. "Well...yes, it is."

Her eyes widened. Arthur's face cracked in astonishment.

"You are boring, and ugly, and I wonder what I saw in you," the Forger said, smoothly. Then, he turned to her, directly. "Ari, for Christ's sake! Do you honestly think I could think that?"

Arthur's jaw began to sag. Eames turned to him, his expression livid. Swallowing Arthur stood directly facing the older, and much larger, man.

"What are you doing?" Eames thundered, his voice echoing. "Are you trying to ruin my relationship? Trying to steal her from me? Well, you're not going to, Arthur!"

Arthur blinked. He could see Ariadne's expression changing from astonishment to anger.

"You're trying to break me and Eames up?" She looked disgusted. "You are such a child, Arthur!"

"Well, you can't blame me!" Arthur said, hating himself. He sounded petulant and jealous. "Do you really think someone like you falls into our laps everyday?"

Glaring at them both, he turned and walked out, his mind in turmoil.

* * *

Arthur sat at his desk, holding a pencil in his hands. Feeling a surge of anger, he pressed down, and saw it snap.

"Feeling angry, are we?"

He looked up, and turned, to see Eames in the doorway. The Forger was smiling, mockingly.

"Nice little scene this morning..." he drawled. "You almost destroying the entire plan!"

Arthur pushed his chair back with a harsh, scraping sound. He faced the Forger. "And we're destroying an innocent young woman. She needs to know the truth - that you're an asshole, and I'm an asshole, and she's better off without both of us!"

Eames grabbed Arthur by the shoulders, causing the two to lock eyes. Arthur didn't flinch.

"She thinks you're jealous," the Forger whispered, hoarsely. "Of me. Which is wonderful, Arthur, except the whole point of this, is that you're supposed to seduce her as well. Did you forget that?"

Arthur shook his head. "No."

"Right. Listen to me. Cobb has some interesting news. Fischer's father has died - soon we're going to be on that plane. Here's what you need to do. In the first layer of the dream, I am going to ignore her completely. You give her attention. Second layer - I have to forge, so you need to get her to kiss you. Like you said you would."

Arthur, his pulse racing, nodded.

"Can you do it?"

Arthur nodded again. "Yes." He took a deep breath. "I can use it as a gambit, tell her its to take attention away from the dreamer, who'll be me."

"Excellent." Eames grinned, wickedly. "And remember...stay close to her when we start coming out of the dream."

"What will you be doing?" Arthur croaked.

"Ignoring her." Eames' mouth twisted. "Which I'm dying to do, as she gets on my nerves." He winced. "That awful, shrill, grating voice!"

Arthur glared at him. "Stop it, or I will hit you Eames, I swear."

"Those cloying eyes..."

"Eames..."

"Those little coos she does when she looks at me, Christ she's pathetic..."

Eames' voice was cut off by a punch. Hard and fast, to his face. He staggered, and looked at the Point Man.

"Nice." His lip curled in a sneer. "She's really got to you, hasn't she?"

Arthur felt his face twist. "I can't stand to hear you talk about her that way."

Eames started to smirk. "Really? Then you won't want to hear me talk about her after what happened last night."

"What?" Arthur felt his blood run cold.

"Put it this way...Ariadne's not the little virginal princess you were hoping for. Not after last night." Eames looked at Arthur, watching as the Point Man's face paled. "Trust me, Artie, she was a wildcat!" He turned to take a step. "And today you got her excited...but not in quite the same way!"

Chuckling, the Forger turned and left, leaving the Point Man red-faced, and nearly in tears.

"But don't worry," he heard Eames throw over his shoulder. "You can still kiss her!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for the long break with this one. **

Arthur clutched the sides of the sink, his head spinning. They were in. Finally in the dream that they'd planned and schemed over for months, and it was going badly. Very badly. He felt himself shaking and tried to control it.

He closed his eyes. Rain. Too much rain. Then finding Fischer. Then finding he'd had his mind militarised, leading to a shootout. Then finally getting into the hideout. Then Cobb and Ariadne showing up. And then-

"What happened to you?" he'd demanded, fear and anger roughening his voice. She'd blinked, looking taken aback. Cobb had stepped in.

"We got waylaid by a freight train," he informed the Point Man, his voice cold. Arthur, unable to stop, seized the opportunity.

"Why the hell did you put a freight train in the middle of a downtown interface?" His voice was furious, and he noticed how Ariadne shrank back from him.

"I - I didn't!" She protested, her face flushing. Before Arthur could respond, Cobb had stepped in, continuing to berate the Point Man. Arthur had swallowed, feeling the full force of the Extractor's anger, but had noticed that Eames was standing to the side, ignoring her. She looked over at him, but he continued to act as though she wasn't there.

Arthur felt his anger surge again, directed at the Forger. A cold glance from Cobb made him back down. He swallowed, and walked away, cursing himself for ever agreeing to this.

* * *

He blinked. Ariadne was sitting next to him.

The hotel that was his layer of the dream was geometric perfection. Everything neatly lined up, everything well designed. He felt some of the tension dissipating, until he saw Cobb striding across the lobby floor. He frowned.

"There goes Mr Charles," he commented, sourly. Ariadne, sitting next to him, blinked. She was wearing a well cut grey suit, with her hair up. It was a business look, demure, but he couldn't help but notice, attractive. He felt himself flush slightly. He couldn't look at her. The guilt he felt from the scene in the first layer was preying on his mind, eating into his soul.

"Whose Mr Charles?"

"A gambit," Arthur replied, trying not to look at her, and letting his eyes dart all over the room. The projections were beginning to stare at them, with increasing hostility. He suddenly realised the moment for what he needed to do was approaching.

Ariadne tried to meet his eyes. "Arthur-"

He tried to ignore her. She blinked, and her face dropped. Suddenly, she noticed someone. A bonde woman. Tall, with an impressive cleavage, striding across the lobby.

"Oh, that's Eames," Arthur commented.

She looked at the Point Man. "Eames?"

"Yes, forged into a woman." Arthur couldn't resist making a jibe. "I think its based on his fantasy woman."

Ariadne's face dropped completely, and she fell silent. Arthur bit his lip, hating himself. He was beginning to wonder if there was a way out of this nightmare. The projections were starting to glare at them, with hostility.

Suddenly, he made his mind up. "They're looking for the dreamer. Looking for me." He turned to her. "Quick, give me a kiss."

Ariadne looked stunned, but as he leaned forward, giving her a chaste, demure peck on the lips, he noticed that she responded. They broke away as quickly as they'd come together, but he noticed she was blushing.

"They're still looking," she commented, but he heard the slight edge of pleasure in her voice. He felt relieved, and also elated. _Screw you, Eames,_ he thought with satisfaction. Suddenly, a casual, reckless arrogance overcame him, and he smiled at her.

"Well," he heard his voice saying. "It was worth a shot. Come on."

**Reviews are always welcome and appreciated. I like to know who is reading this - thank you!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Discliamer: Inception does not belong to me.**

Arthur exhaled, slowly. His eyes had opened, and he found himself looking into the face of the Attendant.

"We're just about to land. Would you like a hot towel?"

He nodded. "Yes, please."

In front of him, he could see Ariadne stirring. He cast a look over at Eames. The Forger, clad in black, was gazing out of the window, studiously avoiding eye contact with Arthur.

Cobb was blinking, and looking bewildered. Arthur caught his eye and smiled. Cobb ignored him, causing a sharp pang to ripple through Arthur. Did he know about the kiss? About what he'd done?

The Point man looked down. His palms felt slick with perspiration, and he wanted to get out of the plane, have a shower, and restore a sense of sanity. _Forget her, _he thought, a feeling of shame starting to creep over him.

* * *

He swallowed. Getting through immigration had been easy, and he noted, also for Cobb. Cobb had simply had his passport handed back to him, and then proceeded to leave, with a waiting Miles.

Arthur stood at the baggage carousel. They'd all had luggage checked on, and he was scanning, looking for his black flight case. Suddenly, he heard the soft screech of metal wheels. He turned.

Ariadne was standing next to him. Her facial expression was slightly anxious, biting her was looking, Arthur realised with chagrin, for Eames.

Where was the Forger? Arthur looked through the crowd. Fischer, the mark, was being ushered to his waiting limo, his cellular phone glued to his ear. Yusuf was already carrying his luggage out. As for Eames-

He was standing away from the baggage carousel, checking his phone. Suddenly, he looked up, caught Arthur's eye, and gave him a wink.

Arthur responded with a raised eyebrow. He knew exactly what that meant. He turned to the Architect, remembering how after the van had hit the water, they'd ended up sitting next to each other on the rocks. How he'd reassured her that Cobb would be allright.

And he remembered the scene in the hotel. He swallowed, and turned to her.

"Are you ok?"

She blinked. "Oh, fine." Her voice sounded flat, Arthur noted. "I just need to-"

She reached out, and grabbed her bag. Suddenly, Eames walked over, and locked his arm possessively around her waist. Arthur raised his eyes to the other man's face. It was impassive.

"Come on, sweetheart, time to go." He pulled her away, Arthur's eyes not leaving the large forearm around her waist. She cast a look at Arthur.

"Goodbye."

It was curt, brief, meant nothing. Arthur felt his heart sink as he watched the Forger walk out with the Architect. He looked at the still revolving carousel. He'd done it. Got her alone, kissed her in the dream - and Eames had backstabbed him. He'd been exposed as a fool to trust such a snake in the grass.

Swallowing, he grabbed his case. Time for a shower.

* * *

Los Angeles was just as he remembered. Too large, too sprawling, too hot. Arthur sat motionless in the back of the cab, until it had dropped him at the hotel. It had been agreed they would stay in separate places, to avoid detection. He checked in, under an alias, and headed to his room.

A shower and change of clothes did nothing to lift his spirits. He walked over to the mini bar, opening it, hoping to find some scotch. Nothing. Feeling a rush of anger, he headed downstairs.

* * *

Ariadne walked. She had no idea where she was going.

Her mind was in a turmoil. She'd been met by Eames, been taken with him to the hotel room. But while she had wanted to rest, he'd only wanted sex. And it had been -

Rough. That was what it had been. She swallowed, remembering how he'd tried to claw at her skin, pulling at her. Images were racing through her mind, and suddenly, she remembered the kiss. The sweet, gentlemanly kiss Arthur had given her in the lobby. The way he'd been so keen to explain to her how he was going to engineer the kick. The way he'd sat next to her on the rocks, and made sure she was allright.

And the way Eames had completely ignored her from the second they'd entered the dream.

She shivered. She felt as though she weren't dealing with two men, but several. Eames could be so charming, and then so rough. Arthur came over as cold, but then he did something so sweet. She felt confused, and other thoughts flashed through her mind. Arthur's insistence that Eames was toying with her. Using her.

She'd tried to talk about it to Eames, but he'd just shrugged.

"He's just jealous," he'd mumbled into her dark hair. "Can't bear the fact I got here first."

Ariadne had looked at him. "Eames, I'm sure-"

"I'm sure. Now, let's forget about him. But he can't do this!"

She stopped, blinking. Something was going on, and she was beginning to feel as though she was being deceived. She turned, and realised she was in front of Arthur's hotel.

* * *

"Do you want company?"

Arthur blinked. He'd been sitting at the bar, nursing a scotch. A young woman was looking at him. Dark hair, dark eyes, attractive. He swallowed.

"Well..."

"I can always leave."

"No," he said, decisively. "Stay. Please." She slid onto a bar stool, and looked at him.

"You're all alone?" her smile was suggestive. Arthur's lips curved.

"For the moment."

She smiled, and gestured at his empty glass. "Buy you another?"

* * *

Ariadne entered the hotel, looking round. She approached the hotel bar.

To her astonishment, she saw Arthur, laughing, with a woman. An attractive woman. Her heart began to pound.

That kiss. It had meant nothing. He'd used her. And Eames...what if he were using her? Feeling soiled, and with tears prickling her eyes, she turned and fled.

**All reviews appreciated, I like to know whose reading! Thank you!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me.**

Arthur swallowed. He knew that if he kept drinking, he would regret it. But, he thought with a surge of defiance, he had nothing to lose.

"Sure, why not another?" He smiled at the woman. She was a little too over dressed for his tastes - a little too much jewellery, a little too much lipstick. But the way she was running her eyes appreciatively over his body...his ego could do with it, he decided.

"Of course," she smiled, and casually snapped her fingers. The bartender approached her. "I'm a regular," she explained.

Arthur's eyebrow went up. He had a sudden feeling of being drawn into something he couldn't control. "I can see that," he commented, dryly. He drained the last of his scotch and waited for the second.

"You seem a little nervous," she commented, and put her hand on his thigh. Arthur was taken aback at how forward she was, but quickly batted the thought away. "Am I - bothering you?"

Arthur grinned, a predatory one. "You're not bothering me at all," he purred, his words low in the back of his throat. He suddenly had a desperate urge to rid himself of the memory of Ariadne, a clinging to a hope that would never materialise. Leaning forward, he allowed his lips to meet hers.

* * *

Eames took a shower, then changed. Whistling, he examined himself in the mirror.

He felt good. Ariadne had felt good as well, until she'd started demanding answers to questions. He shrugged. He couldn't believe how demanding she was, how trusting. He shook his head. Time to find himself someone else, someone a little more mature.

He left the room. Arthur was welcome to her. She bored him, and irritated him. Let the Point Man have her. The game was beginning to wear him down. He knew Arthur had kissed her in the dream - now all he had to do was manipulate her into running to the Point Man.

He smiled. It was all too easy. Revenge, he mused, tasted sweet. And, he thought reflectively, would a scotch. He headed to the bar.

* * *

Arthur felt her hands up his shirt. He caught her wrist, and kissed it, palm up. She smiled.

"Not here," he said, his voice husky.

She nodded. "And your room is?"

He swallowed. He was aware of being caught in a quickening tide - what, he thought dully, being trapped in a whirlpool may be like.

"Upstairs," he whispered.

She smiled. "Shall we?"

* * *

Ariadne wandered through the streets, not caring that she was jostled, leered at. She felt her heart quickening with each step.

Eames...he had to still like her. And Arthur? After seeing the way he was behaving with the woman in the bar, she shuddered. He'd kissed her in the dream, behaved like a gentleman, and then-

She swallowed. She had to talk to him. Both of them. She quickened her steps, and hurried back to the hotel.

* * *

Eames finished his scotch. His eyes glittered as he surveyed the women milling in the bar. Mostly blonde, and he guessed, possibly mostly plastic, but he could live with that. He only wanted something easy, no strings, no whining, no -

As if reading his thoughts, an attractive brunette approached him. His eyes gleamed.

"Hey." Her voice was soft.

"Hey yourself," he came back.

Her face lit up. "Oh, you're English?" She breathed. "I love that accent!"

Eames could barely suppress a grin. This was all too easy. "Really?" he murmured. "Then you'll love what I can say in it..."

* * *

She sat on the bed, watching him. He carefully unbuttoned his vest.

"You're so well groomed," she breathed. "Seems a shame to spoil it..."

He let the vest drop to the floor. To hell with the team, with the game, with Eames, with Ariadne. He was going to have some fun.

* * *

Ariadne re-entered the hotel. Swallowing, she decided she needed some dutch courage, and headed for the bar. To her astonishment, she saw Eames, giggling with the brunette.

"Eames?" She asked, uncertainly. He lifted his head, and smiled. It was a cold smile, and she felt herself shiver.

"Do you want something?" his voice was toneless.

"I thought, I thought we-" she felt confused, and as she noticed the way the brunette was smiling, more humiliated than before. "You don't - you're not-"

Eames shrugged. "I have needs, Ariadne," he said, slowly, as if explaining to a not too bright child. "I can't have a sugar diet all the time!" He winked at her, and the brunette moved closer. "I need spice as well! But," he said, leaning forward. "Arthur likes it sweet! Go and slop all over him!"

Turning, she fled.

* * *

"Oh," the woman breathed, as Arthur ran his hands down her torso. He felt himself shaking slightly, and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, there was a bang on the door. "What?" he snapped.

"Arthur?" Ariadne's voice was timid. "Arthur?"

He froze. Ariadne? What was she-? He paused, feeling ice rush through his veins.

"Arthur, I-" suddenly, the door flew open. Cursing, Arthur realised he'd forgotten to lock it, and the Architect was in the room, gazing at the woman in the bed. And Arthur, half naked, sitting on the side.

"That kiss," she murmured, her expression stunned. "You were using me...you, and Eames..." bursting into tears, she turned and fled. Arthur got up, and ran to the door.

"Ari!" He called, desperately. "Ari, I can-"

She had turned the corner. Feeling sick to his stomach, he shut the door, sliding down it as he collapsed onto the floor.

**All readers appreciated, and I'd love some reviews, thank you!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. **

"Friend of yours?" the brunette enquired. She was looking at him, a smile curving her lips. Shrugging, she reached for a cigarette.

Arthur felt a flash of annoyance. "Yes. And this room is non-smoking." He glared at her.

She raised her eyebrows. "Touchy." She lit the cigarette, and blew out a ring of smoke, almost defiantly. "Well, why don't you go and find your little friend, and when you become a big boy, come and play with me?"

Arthur scooped his jacket off the floor, his face reddening. He turned to her. "I am going to find her," he snapped. "And when I come back, you had better not be here."

"Of course." She exhaled again. "In the meantime...$200, thank you."

Arthur blanched. "What?"

"You heard." Her eyes glittered like chips of green ice. "You can't bring me up to your room, promise to be a wild man, and then bail. You owe me."

Arthur felt sicker than he'd ever felt in his life. His naivety, and his spite, had allowed him to fall into an ever deepening hole. Swallowing, he reached for his wallet, and pulled out a few notes. He handed them to her. "Here."

"_Gracias."_ She smirked, and sucked on the cigarette, blowing the smoke into Arthur's face. "Now, remember - a nice wholesome boy like you shouldn't play with hookers. Off you go."

Arthur left the room, his thoughts in a turmoil.

* * *

Ariadne walked down the street, tears dangerously close. Finally, she spotted a bar, and headed into it. Sliding on a stool, a bartender walked over.

"What can I get you?" his tone was gruff, but his eyes were kind. She swallowed.

"A glass of red wine, please."

He nodded, and within minutes, a glass was placed in front of her. She picked it up, intending to sip it, but knocked it back. The bartender raised his eyebrows, and she looked at him, defiantly. "Another please."

"Bad day, huh?"

She turned. A young man was surveying her - his hair was dark, and chin stubbly, but his blue eyes were gentle, and he was smiling at her. Not in a sleazy, aggressive way - but in a gentle, considered way. He got up, and walked over.

"No offence," he said, softly, "but you look like you could do with some company."

She swallowed, and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, but I'm not interested."

"Whoa!" He looked shocked. "I'm not trying to crack on to you! But when I see someone whose upset, well..." his voice trailed off, and she felt a sting of guilt. He looked at her, his eyes gentle. "Its just that wine is very strong, and if you haven't eaten-"

Ariadne blinked. She looked at him. He was possibly the friendliest man she'd encountered all day. She swallowed. "Well, if you're thinking of-"

"Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian - you choose." He smiled at her. "I'm Steve, by the way." He offered her his hand.

"Ariadne." She grasped it. It felt warm, and solid. "And I'd love Chinese."

He nodded. "Fantastic. There's a little place five minutes away. Shall we?"

* * *

Arthur ran downstairs to the bar. He immediately spotted Eames, who was with a couple of women. One was practically sitting in his lap; the other laughing too obviously at a joke he'd made. Arthur squared his jaw, and walked over. Eames raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Arthur. Found a ladyfriend? Or do you want to share?"

The women both blushed red at this, but turned to survey him. One actually put her hand on his chest. "Sharing wouldn't be a problem," she almost purred. "Aren't you a cutie?"

Arthur went scarlet, but tried to maintain his dignity. "Eames. We need to talk."

"Can't. Busy." Eames gestured to the bartender.

"But, Ariadne..."

"What about her?" Eames shrugged. "Is she off simpering in some corner? Or did you finally give her a good time?" He raised his eyebrows, and reached for his cigarettes.

"She came upstairs and found me-"

"Knee deep in some whore? Very clever, Arthur. Don't tell me- you were the type of teenager who got caught with porn mags by his mum." The women found this hilarious, and the Point Man felt a rush of anger. He glared at the Forger.

"Don't," he snapped, "we're in this together."

"No, Arthur," Eames said, sardonically. "You're in this on your own. You knew what you were doing. You went along with it. You knew we were destroying an innocent girl...and you still carried on."

Arthur felt a sense of shock. _"He's right," _he thought, dully. "I know, I-"

"You're in love with her," Eames interrupted. "I knew you were. I knew someone as sweet, intelligent, and thoughtful as her was just your type. I knew that it was killing you to go along with this. But you still did. And do you want to know why? Because proving something to me - and I don't give a toss about you, frankly - meant more than being honest with her. And now, you've lost her. And you've lost your place in the team. I'm going back to Mombasa after tonight. But when Cobb finds out...you'll be booted out. He won't tolerate this from you. You've lost Ariadne, you've lost Cobb. All because you wanted me to think you could be a bad guy, rather than a boring stick in the mud. You're pitiful, Arthur. You are pathetic. No wonder Ariadne doesn't want you. I wouldn't want to be you either, frankly."

Arthur blinked. He felt stunned. He suddenly saw the whole scheme for what it was - a dark and wicked duel between himself and Eames. The Forger had manipulated him, just as he'd manipulated Ariadne. He'd duped them both.

"You bastard," Arthur said, his anger swelling to the point he felt he'd explode. "You-"

"Oh, do run along, Artie, there's a good boy," Eames said, smiling. "Go and find some nice little plain jane to suck up to. Go and find someone sweet and boring who'll think you're wonderful. Do something altruistic. These hothouse flowers - "he looked at the two smirking women - "are not for you. This life isn't for you. You're just an overgrown boy scout. Run along, you bore me."

Eames suddenly found himself sprawling on the floor as Arthur landed a punch to the face. The Point Man turned, ignoring the Forger's cursing and the shocked squawks of the two women. He strode out of the hotel, his mind racing.

Then he received what felt like as punch to the face himself.

Across the street, he saw Ariadne. Being kissed by a complete stranger.

**All reviews appreciated. Thank you!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for the hiatus with this fic. **

"Ariadne!" Arthur hurried across the road, dodging a cab as it accelerated. The driver swore and spat at him - he didn't notice, and didn't care. He was firmly fixed on getting to the side of the Architect, who was in an embrace with another man.

Ariadne smiled at the man, then turned to Arthur. "Yes?" her eyes were cold, and Arthur swallowed. Suddenly, the enormity of what he had done began to hit him.

"Ari, I-" Arthur paused, unsure of what to say, or where to look. "Ariadne, I really want to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?"

"Was your hooker boring you?" her tone was sharp enough to cut steel, and Arthur winced. He couldn't blame her. Had he been used and humiliated in the way she had, he'd be looking to hurt as well. He swallowed, and tried to compose himself.

"No," he said, trying to stay calm. "I told her to leave. Ari, I need to talk to you. This whole thing, it was Ea-"

She glared at him, and took a step forward. Arthur swallowed. Her face was rigidly composed.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, "try and tell me it was all Eames! Who kissed me in the hotel? Was it Eames? No! It was you!"

Arthur blinked, his guilt beginning to hit him like a tidal wave. Unable to think of anything to say, he merely stared at her, trying to form a coherent thought. This angered her more.

"Don't you look at me like that!" she snapped. "You and Eames - well, you've had your fun, and the job's over!" She turned to Steve. "So, are we going to go out?"

He looked at her, and raised an eyebrow. "You know, I like a woman who knows her own mind." Chuckling, he took her elbow. He was so obvious that Arthur gagged.

"Ari!" He was aware he was beginning to sound slightly desparate. "Ari, please, don't do this! You don't know this guy, he could be-"

She glared at him. "Stop it, Arthur." She turned back to Steve, and smiled. "Yes, this guy could be a creep, but, trust me - I thought you were a nice guy, and you are nothing but one!" With a backward glare, she took Steve's offered arm. Arthur could only stand and watch helplessly as Steve ushered her into the waiting cab. As the door slammed, the cab drove off, and he became aware of a crushing weight in his chest.

Then, he turned, and hailed a cab himself. As he got in, the driver, a disinterested looking man, turned to him. "Yeah?"

"Follow that cab," Arthur instructed. "I'll pay you whatever it comes to."

Nodding in agreement, the cab peeled off and followed its predecessor. Arthur felt sick to his stomach. Steve might mean no harm - but Ariadne; he couldn't simply let her go without speaking to her again. Not like this.

* * *

Eames was rubbing his face. "Little bastard", he muttered, as he took a swig of scotch. Arthur had certainly felled him, but the two women he'd picked up had more than compensated. He lay on his back, happily, with one wrapped around him, leaning her head on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair. The other was in the bathroom.

"Don't stay in there too long," Eames called. "I might come and get you!"

She opened the door. "Here I am," she said, smiling at him. With one movement, she was on the bed, and curling up on his other side. He breathed, completely content, and sated in his post-coital comedown. Suddenly, his cellphone, precariously balanced on the side next to the bed, shrilled into life.

Sighing with annoyance, he snapped it open. "Yes?"

"Eames. Cobb." The Etractor's tone was brusque. "Where are you?"

Eames raised an eyebrow, lazily. "In bed." He yawned. "I'll be heading back to Mombasa later." He stretched, careful not to dislodge his companions.

"Fine." Cobb's tone was sharp. Eames could hear the whoops of his two children in the background, and the gentle tones of Miles. "Where are Arthur and Ariadne?"

Eames smiled. "Well, they're probably arguing somewhere. You see-" Eames lowered his voice - "Arthur played a trick on her. Made her think he was interested in her. Kissed her in the dream."

"What?"

"Yes, Cobb. Arthur kissed Ariadne, and she then found him with someone else."

"Wait-" Eames could hear the confusion in the Extractor's voice. "But aren't you with Ariadne?"

"No." Eames said, smiling. "But, she was allright in bed. See you Cobb!"

He clicked off, and laid back down. As the two women moved closer, he allowed himself to smile.

**All readers appreciated, and I'd love some reviews, thank you!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for the hiatus with this fic!**

Arthur swallowed, feeling himself tense as the cab trundled on, trying not to obviously tail Ariadne's. He swallowed, his mind beginning to churn with the comments he could make.

_I'm really sorry._

_I got in too deep._

Angrily, he rejected them all. They were too trite, too banal. And none of them came even close to admitting what he really felt.

That he'd been duped. Deceived. Eames had used him as cruelly as he'd used her. Shown him up. Exposed him for what he really was.

Weak, and cowardly.

Arthur bit his lip. Suddenly, he was half tempted to tell the driver to pull over, and let him get out.

He had no idea what he'd say to her. And he was convinced that if he were in her position, he wouldn't want to hear it.

* * *

"Hey, cheer up." Ariadne turned, and looked at her companion. His smile was kind, and so were his eyes. "Forget them. They're jerks. Complete and total jerks. And they don't deserve you."

She swallowed. Steve was kind, she considered, and also a perfect gentleman. But she had a feeling there was something else lurking behind those eyes. Something darker. She shivered slightly. Her brushes with Eames and Arthur shouldn't prejudice her against all men. She looked at him, and nodded.

"I guess so," she said, softly. She sank back into the leather seat, and he leaned over, and put his arm around her. "Its true. Believe me."

She stared at her hands. The discovery of Arthur with two hookers, and Eames...she swallowed. Both were so sleazy. So base. And she'd thought- she blinked, her eyes filling with tears.

She'd been naive. And stupid. Naive to think that two men like that would be interested in her. Suddenly, she felt a vibration in her pocket. Her cell phone. Swallowing, she pulled it out.

"Hello?" she asked, shakily.

"Ari? Are you all right?"

"I'll be ok, Cobb." Her voice was husky, and she tried to clear her throat. "I just- don't really ever want to see either of them ever again."

"I know." Cobb's voice was low. "I feel the same. Listen, I'll come by, see you, ok?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she said, hastily, suddenly remembering the man sitting next to her. "I'll be fine, Dom, really."

"As long as you're sure." The Extractor sounded unconvinced, and Ariadne took a deep breath.

"Dom. I'll be fine. They're just...jerks."

She heard a throaty chuckle from the Extractor. "I think they're more, but I like the sentiment. OK, speak soon."

As she clicked off, she turned to Steve. "Please stop the cab." Her voice was firm.

"What?" he looked surprised. "Hey, we're nearly there-"

"No, stop the cab." Her voice deepened in its intensity. "I'd like some time to myself. Please."

He blinked, caught off guard. "Well, if you're sure."

She nodded. "I am."

* * *

Arthur blinked. He couldn't believe it. Ariadne's cab was stopping, and she was getting out. He swallowed, and knocked on the glass partition.

"Can you stop here, please?"

The driver consented, and Arthur pulled a few twenty dollar bills out of his wallet. "Here." Opening the door, he stepped onto the sidewalk. Then, after shutting the door, he hurried after the Architect.

* * *

Ariadne walked. She didn't care where. She just needed to move. Away from the awful thoughts and images that were swirling in her head. Arthur...Eames...

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she met the dark eyes of the Point Man.

**All reviews appreciated, thank you!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer**:** Inception does not belong to me. Apologies for the hiatus with this fic!**

Ariadne blinked. "Arthur, I-" She struggled to keep her composure. "Arthur, I-"

Suddenly, her emotions broke free. Raising her hand, she slapped his face. Hard. The blow caught several passers by with surprise, and several turned to look. Some looked shocked, but, she heard others actually chuckling. Her cheeks reddening, she took a step back.

"You- you-" she stammered, unable to form the words. The fury and humiliation she had felt was mingling and surging in her chest, and she raised her hand, prepared to slap him again.

His reflexes were fast, and he caught her wrist. "No. Please." His voice was slightly hoarse, and she could see a look of anguish in his eyes. "Please."

She glared at him. "You deserve it."

He swallowed. "Not saying I don't, but can we not do this here, in public?" There was a catch in his voice, and she nodded. He relinquished his grip on her wrist, and she lowered her hand.

"Come on," he said, maintaining eye contact. "Let's get out of here."

Nodding, she followed him. He walked to the curb, and hailed a cab.

* * *

Arthur sank into the seat, his cheek burning. He wanted to put his hand on it and rub it, but decided not to. It would look pitiful, he felt, plus it would give her a clear message that she'd hurt him.

_But not as much as I've hurt you. _

She was looking out the window, studiously avoiding his gaze. He swallowed.

"Where are we going?" her voice suddenly broke into his thoughts, causing him to blink.

"I thought we could..." his voice faltered, and he willed himself to try and stay calm. "I thought we could go to my place. I have an apartment in the city."

She looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "You think thats a good idea?"

Arthur looked at her. "No," he said, evenly. "But as I've made mistakes ever since I met you, its probably my least worst one."

She shrank back in her seat, as though mollified by his explanation. He bit his lip. After what seemed an age, the cab finally drew up in front of an unprepossessing block. Arthur got out, paid the driver, then opened the door for Ariadne. "Please."

She ignored the hand he offered, and stepped onto the sidewalk. "Fourth floor," he said, trying to ignore her rejection. "Come on."

* * *

Ariadne followed Arthur, trying to maintain her composure. His jaw was set, and she could see the suppressed anger smouldering in his eyes. Was it anger at her for lashing out, or anger at himself? She shrugged mentally, and continued to follow.

He pressed the button for the elevator, and waited. They entered it in silence. As the metal box moved up the walls, she looked at the floor.

"Bit different from last time," she commented.

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Having to tie us all together to get us in the elevator," she said, making reference to the job. Arthur blushed.

"Well, I had to." He swallowed. "I didn't put my hands anywhere..." his voice trailed off, as she turned away from him. Biting his lip, the elevator ground to a halt, and the doors opened. He stepped out.

"This way."

She followed him, as he led her to his apartment. As he pulled out his keys, he blinked. His cell phone was vibrating. Without stopping to check it, he switched it off, and unlocked the door. "Come on."

She entered with him, and he switched on the lights. The apartment smelt faintly musty, as though it had been unoccupied for a long time. He turned to her.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, his tone polite.

"Water, please," she said, her tone equally calm. Nodding, he headed to the kitchen. He turned on the faucet, puored two glasses, and returned to find her sitting on his couch. He walked over, and handed her a glass.

"Thank you." Her tone was formal, and slightly cool. He nodded, and took a sip.

"Ariadne-"

"What?"

"This is-"

"Yes?"

Arthur struggled to find the words. "Awkward."

"Is it?" her tone, again, was extremely polite.

"Yes." Suddenly, he slammed his glass down on a nearby coffee table, not caring that liquid spilled over the edge, and hit the floor. "It is. What I did - what Eames did - what we did-" he faltered, realising that she was standing close, and making eye contact.

"What you did," she said, coolly, "was to try and make a fool out of me." She looked at him, and shook her head. "You and Eames must have thought I was pathetic - just this little girl to try and make fun of!"

Arthur bit his lip. "Well- we-"

"There is no excuse," she said, her tone like ice. "He did what he did, and you went along with it. Thats all I have to say, and thanks for the water."

"I know I did!" Arthur almost shouted, his pent up anguish beginning to get the better of him. "But, Ari, when I asked you to kiss me-"

She froze. Her back was turned; she was on the verge of walking out. Arthur hurried towards her, and put his hands on her shoulder.

"I actually meant it."

She turned, and met his eyes. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

"Then prove it, Arthur. Give me a kiss."

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	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: Inception does not belong to for the long hiatus. This is the final chapter. **

"Kiss me." It was delivered as a dare.

Arthur exhaled, then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Before she could even try to pull away again, his lips were on hers. Softly at first, then pressing with urgency. As he felt her lips part beneath his, he began to gently probe her mouth.

He felt her press against him, her grip tightening. He forgot. Forgot his behaviour that had led to this moment. Forgot that she despised him. All that mattered was him proving to her that he cared. That he wasn't what she thought.

After what seemed an eternity, she began to gently disengage herself, the deep kiss turning into a lingering whisper.

He blinked. As she pulled away, she was turning her head. Away from him. Her arms were loosening, and disengaging. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Goodbye, Arthur."

Wordlessly he watched as she began to move towards the door. Swallowing, he tried to contain himself.

"Wait!"

She stopped. "Yes?"

"Ari, I...we..."

She shook her head. "There is no we, Arthur. I just wanted you to kiss me. Prove to me that you're not a machine, not only doing what Eames tells you." She looked at him, sadly. "But you..."

He swallowed. "Yes?"

"You ran out of chances."

He blinked. "Ariadne!"

"Arthur, listen to me." Her voice was forceful, but he could hear the rasp of tears. "You and Eames...you lied to me. Used me. And...neither of you are good enough for me."

Arthur felt as though he'd been gut punched. "Ari..."

"I'm flying back to Paris," she said, her voice faint. "I have classes next week. Good bye."

Standing as if frozen, Arthur watched her turn and leave, firmly shutting the door. Then, trying not to let the tears run down his face, he strode to the balcony, pulling a guilty packet of cigarettes out of his pocket. As he put one in his mouth and lit it, he inhaled. Thank God for nicotine.

Standing there, he watched as she hailed a cab, giving instruction. He exhaled, finally giving in to the deep feeling of regret exploding in his chest.

* * *

"Well, well." Arthur looked up. Eames was standing in front of him. "Did you apologise to her?"

Arthur scowled. He'd avoided the Forger successfully, but knew that he had to make pretence of civility. "I tried." He put his head down. Cobb had been coldly polite to both men since they'd returned. Arthur had no intention of exacerbating the situation. Eames nodded.

"Well, here's proof it didn't work." He tossed a tabloid onto Arthur's desk.

The Point Man picked it up, his face colouring. A picture of Ariadne...with Robert Fischer, Jr. Heart pounding, Arthur read the text accompanying the paparrazzi's shot. The two of them were leaving a restaurant.

Hand in hand.

_"Robert Fischer, Jr, possibly one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, was snapped leaving the Guggenheim Museum in New York City last week with this young lady. Rumour has it they met at an gallery exhibition in Paris. Fischer Jr was reported to have said he remembered her, and felt brave enough to approach her. Mr Fischer is a notoriously private individual, but is it possible this could be the start of something very special?"_

Arthur rubbed his face. "Fischer. Richest man in Australia...even without his father's Empire."

"Yep." Eames nodded. "Looks like we got our just desserts, eh Artie? Oh, and something else..."

Arthur looked up. "Yes, Eames?"

"I never slept with her." Eames blinked, his face colouring as Arthur's jaw dropped. "I know I said I did, but it was to-"

Suddenly, Arthur was on his feet, his hand going for the other man's throat. "You lying piece of-"

"Hey!" Cobb dropped a pile of papers, and hurried over. Getting in between the two men, he wrenched them apart. "What the hell is going on?!"

Arthur stepped back first. "Misunderstanding," he muttered. He walked away, ignoring Cobb's furious gaze and Eames' splutters. All he could think about was her.

* * *

"So, what do you think?"

Ariadne blinked, jolted. Robert was smiling at her from across the table. "Its lovely," she managed to get out. It was. The restaurant was expensive, tasteful, and elegant- rather like Fischer himself. She looked at him, and nodded. She was sitting with arguably the richest and most handsome young man in the world. The inception seemed as though it had happened in another lifetime. To someone else.

She blinked. She'd returned to Paris, determined to scour her memories of Arthur and Eames out of her life. She'd resumed her classes, not divulging to anyone why she'd disappeared for a few weeks. Then, she'd started socialising again.

She'd seen Fischer at an Art gallery. Slightly shocked, she'd tried to hide...until he approached her.

"Excuse me!"

She'd looked up. "Yes?"

Fischer had looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, its just you..." his voice, with its Sydney-via-LA accent, faltered slightly. "You look familiar..." his face creased. "Maybe you were on a flight with me."

She nodded, shocked. But she'd spotted the vulnerability, the nervousness. Then, he asked her if she wanted to join him for dinner.

She smiled at him across the table. Robert was attentive, loving, and gracious. Nothing was too much trouble, or too expensive. She bit her lip, wondering if she was seen as a gold digger. But she was just an Architectural student, carrying a secret about the man.

She couldn't stay with him because of the secret.

* * *

Arthur swallowed as he wandered the streets. He hated going home. If he went home, he'd close his eyes, and see it all again. The way he'd used her, abused his trust.

He was worse than Eames. He'd helped him. He could have stopped him.

_She's with Fischer. _A supremely rich young man, who could buy her anything and everything. He sighed.

Wanting revenge on an enemy he'd never had...he'd ended up despising himself. He shrugged.

Suddenly, he bumped into someone. "Oh God, I'm sorry! I-"

He paused. "Ariadne?"

"Hello, Arthur," she replied, politely. "How are you?"

"I'm-" he stopped. "I'm-" He stopped again. "I'm sorry."

She nodded. "I know you are. You told me before."

His shoulders slumped slightly. "Ari, you and Fischer, I hope-"

"We're not together," she interrupted. "I couldn't stay with him, not after what happened." She looked at the floor. "But he's-"

"A perfect gentleman," Arthur muttered. "I know." He turned away.

"Arthur!"

He stopped. "Yes?"

"We could...try at being friends," she said, quietly. "I've seen you at your worst, and I like to think...you're not going to do it again."

He blinked. Hope beginning to swell in his heart. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said, quietly. "We did share an experience together."

Arthur nodded. "I won't-" he swallowed. "Tell Eames."

"I don't care if you do," Ariadne said, forcefully. "But there is one thing you can do right now."

Arthur walked to her, their faces close together. "What is it?"

"Give me a kiss."

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